“Have a happy wet Sunday.

Rainbows love the rain.” 

― Anthony T. Hincks

Seasons are changing, and after the intense waves of summer heat, we're having more rain as summer rolls into autumn. This Sunday is particularly gloomy, although that's what CQ weather usually is for most of the year. The anticipation for sunnier days is not helping my homesickness, though. Sundays usually make missing family and the dogs Nemo, Pip, and Kimchi so much harder. 

It's a rainy Sunday, and news of the storm pummeling some cities here after it wreaked havoc in the PH is all over Wechat. Wet Sundays do not make a happy camper out of me at all. But no complaints.

We bought Tomas his own pair of glasses from Daiso, just because it was cute and a pooch needs to look like he reads books from time to time. And we are home safe and dry. A lot of people are living through strong winds and rain right now and that can't be easy. Praying that all the people and animals caught in the storm will stay safe and get the help they need if they're not.

Hopefully, the rainbows will start peeking through the clouds soon. 

I put off writing this post because for some reason, I hesitate putting very personal highs and lows online in great detail. I like to keep the most personal moments close to my heart and writing about them and sending them off to the great big virtual world seems like the opposite of that. 

I think the only thing I remember vividly is the ride to my hometown on the day of the ceremony. Rain was pouring, like a big bucket was being emptied out from the sky. I sat in the car, thinking of a plan B. "I think four tables can fit in the garage," I tell JP in my calmest, I'm-not-freaking-out-voice. Holding the ceremony in my parent's house would be the likeliest Plan B we'd have, because at the rate the rain was going, the venue was going to a soaked, muddy, mess. Jeff, our friend and photographer, chimed in from the back that no, no, no, it won't rain. 

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” 

― Mahatma Gandhi

Sometimes I catch myself saying or thinking something cynical or nasty about an issue, event, or a person and I realize that I really do not want to be that kind of person who sees the negative in every situation. You need to be smart and discerning, I get it, but to overdo it is bad for your health, too. This is probably the reason why it's a conscious effort for me to think the good and see it and look for it, because sometimes the world can be a really, really bad place and sometimes it becomes a matter of survival, that need to find goodness that balances it all out. 

This is probably the reason why I like taking pictures because especially of friends and family in states of happiness, togetherness, bliss. It's a reminder that the world is a bleak place but we can create pockets of positivity, love and acceptance that means the world to the people who matter. 

“There is a thing about the trust of a dog that makes up for a lot of heartache we take in this life.” 

― Don DeLillo

Libra

Living where we live, far from home, there is a certain impermanence to things that tells you to never be too comfortable or even try to put down roots because you could be going the next time you wake up. Happily, that uncertainty didn't stop us from getting a dog, haha! And I'm glad we did, because for someone who has grown up with dogs, a house is never truly a sanctuary unless a dog lives there. And ever since we got Tomas into this 3-bedroom renter, he's practically transformed the way we live. Nights were spent looking forward to a movie on the couch, with the latest takeout on the table (we try to eat healthy but we mostly fail at it). Days were spent for work, or for exploring the nooks and crannies of CQ.

These days, it's morning (or afternoon) walks, meeting fellow doggos in the park downstairs, or playing hide and seek to get the furry creature sleepy enough for bed. And because I work from home, having him around means there's no excuse not to get up and out and enjoy daylight before it's gone again. 

I often wonder why people choose to live without dogs. Is it because they do not know how great it is to have someone always happy to see you when you get home from work? Or because they do not know the simple pleasure of watching a dog become so excited at seeing and smelling virtually anything that it comes across while on a short walk?

Dogs remind me that the little things hold the most wonder, that a cool floor in the summer is heaven, that water tastes best after a game of fetch, and that everybody can use a good walk outdoors once a day. 

For someone who is learning to prioritize what's important and what's not, that is a valuable gift. 

I bet he is teaching the husband lots of things too. They have grown really close (they sleep together now) and they share a common love for ripe mangoes.

“A little coffee. A little sunlight. Your troubles will get smaller.” 

― Richard Webbera

I've always  been a tea drinker but as I got older I realized that coffee makes sense especially  if you need a good boost to start the mornings. Apart from that, I know so little about coffee, which is probably because I visit coffee shops purely for the interiors. I couldn't, for the life of me, tell the difference between a cappuccino and a latte, apart from the fact that both taste good with lots of cream and sugar. It's just my luck that more often than not, these cups are served in cafes with gorgeous  interiors and lots of character.  

Case in point, Coffeeholic in Testbed II, Nanping. I love Nordic-inspired interiors, with their white walls, clean lines and minimalist designs, so when I saw all the white and the succulents, I fell in love. They have a pretty limited menu when it comes to food, but according to the husband, the coffee is really good so that's one reason to go back.

“As long as there was coffee in the world,

how bad could things be?” 

― Cassandra Clare,

City of Ashes

Coffeeshop catch-ups are fast becoming one of my favorite weekend To-Dos. So when my friend Helena messaged to get together for some coffee and a quick portrait session, meeting up in a coffee shop was first on our list. It didn't hurt that we both lived near a Zoo Coffee (this one in Caifu Zhongxin), perhaps one of  the biggest Zoo Coffees in this city, so it was a meetup that I pretty much looked forward to the entire week. 

Meeting new people who turn out to be great friends, the type who you can easily slide into deep, meaningful conversations with, is one of the great adventures when living so far from home. Kindred spirits come in all shapes and sizes and nationalities. For one, we both like to go hang out at coffee shops while ordering the least caffeinated item on the menu! I can't pass up good interiors, even if it means having to order a cup of mocha or hot chocolate every time I see a coffee shop that's fitted out nicely. We were lucky enough since Zoo Coffee serves full meals on top of coffee, has big, wooden tables and plush, comfy chairs that are big enough to sleep in. So between bites, we caught up, snapped a few frames, and made the most out of the Sunday. 

It's amazing to think that somewhere out there are future friends who we are bound to meet, swap life stories with, and share significant portions of our  lives with-- it's a beautiful thing.  

A few shots from that  afternoon.